


I Could Have Danced All Night

by Rinoa11



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Fairy Tale Retellings, M/M, Twelve Dancing Princesses Based, Wine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-23 20:38:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6129367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinoa11/pseuds/Rinoa11
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daichi has returned from the military, an injured useless soldier with a sick mother. He is taken in to become a  palace gardener under Keishin and is sucked into the mystery of the six beautiful princes of the castle who disappear each night and return with ruined dancing shoes. When times get desperate Daichi can no longer ignore the mystery of the six princes before him. Who are they? What is going on? And will he discover their secret or face the punishment of death?</p><p>- Based on "The Twelve Dancing Princesses"</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Could Have Danced All Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thewindraiser](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewindraiser/gifts).



> This is a gift for the wonderful TheWindRaiser. Happy Birthday darling! I know this is late but I hope you enjoy it!

The sun poured down on Daichi’s shirtless form in waves causing sweat to bead on his forehead. There was no greater satisfaction than working in the royal gardens. Watching the flowers grow under his care. But the flowers weren’t the only thing to grow within his short time in the service of the palace. Keishin and his wife Saeko had given him and his dear old mother so much through their kindness. The war had taken so much from Daichi. His youth, his village and most of his family. On his return he was met with his old sick mother and no means of making any money to get her medicine. He was useless in combat now, the only thing he had known so they had to travel to another kingdom in search of work and sustenance.

It was a tough journey for the both of them as they travelled through the countryside towards the neighbouring kingdom. Daichi went door to door begging for work, a large and fearsome man, scarred through his battles with the reflections of the unspeakable terrors he had seen in his eyes. No one wished to hire him, no matter how much he beseeched them on behalf of his ailing mother. He couldn’t bear to lose her too. His sisters had found new lives with husbands in far off lands, his father had been taken by sickness long ago.

It wasn’t until a large blonde man saw the pair of them wandering the streets, hungry and huddled together in desperation that Daichi’s luck began to change. This man called Keishin worked in the palace gardens as the newly appointed head gardener. It turned out that his grandfather had just retired a couple of months ago and the gardens were by no means a one man job.

“I assure you that your mother will get all the care she needs” Keishin assured him, taking Daichi under his arm and leading him to the grounds of the palace with his small mother. His mother could hardly believe their luck, tears forming in her aged eyes showing her utmost gratitude.

Thankfully through the blessings of his dear friend and employer, his mother’s health recovered a little and they made no mention of his trips outside in the depths of the night when his nightmares got too bad for him to stay put for fear of waking the palace with his screams.

And then the months passed peacefully and Daichi felt content in his heart working hard for his living for his mother and coming home to a cold beer with Keishin and Saeko to listen to the gossip from the other parts of the palace. She was a smith in the armoury so she always heard the juicy gossip regaled to her by the palace guards.

Daichi kept to himself for the most part, content with his lot in life but tonight Saeko regaled her husband and Daichi with a tale so outrageous that Daichi felt his eyebrows raise so high into his hairline, he was worried they would disappear.

“So the King has six sons and they’re all supposed to be getting married but they keep disappearing. Now this had been happening for a while, of course you wouldn’t know this Daichin!” she chortled punching his shoulder gently before continuing. “Anyway so this is old news that even Keishin knows. Those princes ain’t gonna be tied down easy. So the King gets fed up of his son’s funny business. I mean they go off disappearing each night and coming back with worn dance shoes even when they are locked and bolted in their room!” Daichi could hardly believe what he was hearing. It sounded like witchcraft or some kind of magical funny business to him but he couldn’t understand why Saeko was telling him all this. He had no interest in the lives of royalty, as long as he could keep himself and his mother fed and housed he had no other desires.

“But you see Daichi! The thing is, the king put up a big reward for whoever could solve the mystery so heaps of folk have been trying to do so but the punishment for failing is the chop, if they don’t disappear first!” Daichi felt himself gulp and wince in sympathy for the people who had failed. The punishment seemed rather harsh but such desperation probably drove the king to desperate measures. As this mystery had been unsolved for quite some time, anyone brave enough was allowed to attempt but still he felt no need to involve himself and instead resolved to keep himself busy in the garden and focused on his dear mother’s health.

After Saeko’s tale, the stories of the princes stood out to him more whenever he made a trip into the castle. His ear attuned to them as he walked to the kitchens, delivering the vegetables he had so lovingly tended to. The princes were apparently all visions of beauty and held many virtues that made them desirable to so many. However it wasn’t until a gorgeous sunlit day that he was to discover this in person.

It was a warm summer’s afternoon and Daichi was outside tending to the bushes with some shears when he heard a multitude of voices in the distance. A gaggle of young men could be heard merrily chatting away, voices filled with laughter and mirth. The hard work in the heat caused Daichi to strip off of his shirt earlier, it lay drenched with the sweat of his brow next to the skin of water he would drink from every so often.

Daichi didn’t expect the young men to approach the area he worked until he heard gasps and croons of appreciation at his chisled form, scared and tempered by the many years of training and battle he partook in.

“Look at the cum gutters on that one!” called one of the boys in a brash fashion earning a couple of gasps from his brothers and a laugh from another. “Kenji! That’s not the sort of language Papa would like” replied a younger voice, utterly scandalized.

“Yes but look at the hip bones! Kageyama you may be young but you will grow to appreciate them I promise” the first voice replied causing the second to huff and puff in a sulk.

A third voice chimed in with “And those arms!”

Daichi turned his head to look at the small crowd of six that had gathered near him in the garden. He gathered that from their fine clothing that they were the princes. The two brunettes of the group were very openly ogling him, exchanging filthy whispers between themselves in giggles. There were also a pair with dark hair, the youngest being the scandalized Kageyama who turned as red as a tomato while the elder of the two with very refined features eyed up the brunettes with distaste at their foul language. A small blonde stuck behind the one with refined features and seemed utterly disinterested by Daichi’s presence in the garden, he seemed to be fiddling with a cats cradle. However as lovely as these brothers were in appearance there was one who caught his attention, the one who right at him with his deep brown eyes. He had silvery blonde hair and a beauty mark that seemed so perfectly and delicately placed. As soon as their eyes met, he blushed and broke eye contact to chide his two brunette brothers.

“Now, Tooru, Kenji…. That’s not something very polite to be saying about one of our hard working members of staff” His voice was silky and lilting causing a delightful shivering chain reaction down Daichi’s spine. Was an angel in his presence? He was sure he would meet one one day on the battlefield but not here in this palace garden.

The dark haired beauty with refined features took the cue from his brother to usher the rest away, silently sizing up Daichi as he left with the other four. His eyes and presence made Daichi feel like he was someone not to be trifled with.

And then to his joy Daichi was stood shirtless at the top of the ladder alone with this silvery angel who bashfully grinned up at him.

“I’m really sorry about Kenji and Tooru. They can be quite brash at times but they mean no harm. It’s just that we don’t really see many new staff come into the castle and we got a bit curious” he explained fidgeting with his slender fingers. They looked so much softer and gentle in comparison to Daichi’s own calloused pair.

Daichi smiled warmly down at the apologetic prince and stepped down from his ladder. He swore that just for a moment he saw a small pout form on the prince’s lips. “It is quite alright your highness. I was hired by the head gardener a couple of months ago but I don’t go into the castle aside from trips to the kitchen to deliver vegetables.” His words caused the prince to look down at his muscular arms and his eyes lingered for a beat too long to be comfortable before a gorgeous flush coated his face as he coughed and turned his face away in embarrassment but there lingered a slightly mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

The prince laid his hand delicately on a well-trimmed piece of shrubbery. “Yes…. Well….. um welcome to the staff. I’m sure Keishin is very pleased with you. It must be good for him to have such a mus…. Strong! Strong! And capable member…. Person! On his staff… who is so good at _sculpting_ ” Daichi raised a brow and chuckled at the “shyness” of the prince who eyed him back through his lashes with a small smile. He didn’t seem to be as wilting as he first thought but then as soon as he opened his mouth to try and prolong the conversation and begin to figure out the silvery prince he turned to leave. He breezily waved as he turned on his heel to go follow his brothers.

“I should really be going after my brothers! Thank you for your time Mr Gardener!” he called out as he left through the arch he had spent the morning sculpting. Daichi felt his mouth go dry as the eldest prince sashayed away, his hips swaying like a cat who got his cream. He could very well now understand why so many had tried to figure out the secrets of their disappearing acts but he couldn’t find any reason to justify trying to solve it himself. His mother needed him.

During the Summer months would see the silvery prince, who he found out was called Suga, from time to time wandering in the garden with his brothers, his father and other distinguished guests. Each and every time Suga would send him a deceptively shy smile, always undertoned by a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. Daichi found himself enjoying the way his eyes would trail up and down his form, in a languid manner, drinking him in like a fine glass of champagne. He was a lovely distraction from his long laborious days in the heat tending to the garden, especially when he would turn to walk away. Daichi swore he swayed his hips like that on purpose.

However the forbidden thrill of admiring the prince came to an end when his mother’s heath took a turn for the worse. Her cough had started to rasp and rattle like wind blowing through their old house. Her fever grew higher and higher and Daichi grew desperate. He could not afford the medicine that he needed to get her and despite however much they wished to do so, Keishin and Saeko could barely help him.

That night Daichi sat outside trying to think of what he could do to get the medicine for his mother. He would hate to leave this job that he loved so much. It was so satisfying to watch life grow instead of having to end it in battle. Not many other places would accept an ex-soldier unable to fight. He was lucky to be given this job in the first place.

And then his eyes landed on a window high up in the castle in the royal quarters. The surrounding windows were suitably large and grand as was the one that caught his eye. The difference was that this one had a metal shutter, locked shut in order to prevent anyone from entering, or in this case, leaving. If he could solve the mystery of the princes he would be rewarded heavily and the thought did cross his mind yet again but fear crept into the pit of his stomach and sat there like a rock. If he tried his neck was on the line and he couldn’t bear to do that to his mother.

As he made his way to stand and leave the chill of the night air behind him he heard a small cough. Daichi spun around quickly and held his arms up defensively in case it was an attacker but what stood before him was a sight quite odd. A tall man dressed rather foppishly in sparkly pale fabric with his long hair tied back and a small beard on his chin. There was something decidedly unnatural about him and also rather awkward. Despite his tall stature, the man carried himself like a shy mouse.

The man cleared his throat before launching himself into a spiel. “S-sir Daichi! Y-your wish is a noble one! You wishes and efforts to continuously aid your mother have been recognised and I your f-f-fairy godfather am here to grant you with aid in order to c-c-conquer your problems!”

Daichi could hardly believe what this awkward, giant fairy godfather was offering him. He could scarcely believe that they existed and yet at this time when he was so desperate, he was willing to suspend all disbelief and throw caution to the wind.

So he did. He listened intently to his godfather who stuttered and fidgeted even more when Daichi begun to grow so impatient that a vein on his forehead throbbed menacingly. He shoved a box at Daichi with a squeak.

“E-Everything in there will help you fulfil your goal! I have the most faith in you!” his godfather remarked before nervously scratching the back of his head and disappearing in a flurry of sparkles. Daichi was not amused to find himself covered in glitter at all but he dusted himself off and made his way back home to look inside the small wooden chest he was given.

Inside the chest lay a set of fine clothes and shoes, fit for royalty. A finely woven cotton shirt, a deep red velvet doublet with pearls inlayed into the buttons, a pair of matching breeches and some black leather shoes which reflected the light. These would be clothes fine enough to warrant the audience of the king. On closer inspection of the chest there also lay a deep velvet cloak with a sapphire inlayed in the metal of the clasp and a note which read

“ _Dear Daichi,_  
_When you wear this cloak you shall become invisible until you take it off. Once your goal is achieved the magic will wear off. Also, do not drink the wine!!!_

_Good Luck!_

_Your Fairy Godfather - Asahi ”_

Daichi felt a wave of gratitude overtake him and he silently thanked his fairy godfather as he sat next to his mother in the dim candlelight of the small cottage they shared. Tomorrow he would seek an audience with the king.

And seek and audience he did. Daichi stood in his fine garb before the King in the great hall of the palace. The King was an older man whose face had seen many years of joy and prosperity, however that joy had turned to worry at the antics of his sons. He sat on his throne, tired and worn, cloaks covering his frail shoulders to keep out the Autumnal draft that always seemed to be lingering right next to his bones.

“I have come respectfully seeking your blessing and permission to try to solve the mystery of your sons’ disappearances at night your majesty.” Daichi beseeched tactfully. Many years in the military had taught him that politeness and asskissing was one way to get what he wanted. The King barely looked up at him, tired of the same situation happening again and again. Daichi swore that he even saw a glimmer of pity cross his features for the King was certain that Daichi’s head would also end up on the chopping block like so many that had tried and failed before him. But Daichi was determined and stood his ground as the King spoke in a tired voice.

“You have three nights to discover the cause of my sons’ disappearance and why their brand new shoes are worn through by the coming morning. During these three nights you shall stand watch outside their room with the door unlocked. If you should succeed I shall grant you great riches and the boon of marrying one of my sons if you should choose to do so. If you should fail, you will be beheaded like all who have come before you. I wish you luck.”

Daichi bowed respectfully and left the room deep in thought. He had a cloak that granted him invisibility, these clothes and a note that told him to not drink the wine. So deep in thought was Daichi that he did not think to look where he was going until he collided with another young man with a mighty crash that sent them both to the floor along with whatever the young man had been holding.

Daichi was mortified at his lack of awareness and frantically apologized scrambling to help pick up what had been dropped on the floor. Shoes? Leather scraps? Hammers? Foot molds? He looked up at the owner of these items to see a man clad in a leather apron with the most unusual hair he had ever seen. The man smiled brightly at him and laughed off the collision heartily.

“Do not worry my lord! I would not be surprised that you’re preoccupied with your thoughts if you’ve chosen to undertake the challenge!” he said, grinning broadly. He rose to a tall and stocky height with his tools packed neatly into his toolbox, shoes carefully piled on top. “I wish you the best of luck. I may be Bokuto Koutarou the finest cobbler this land has ever seen but even I tire of endlessly making shoes. Especially the same dance shoes over and over and over again! Even if they do make Prince Akaashi smile like that… but you didn’t hear that from me!” A blush coated his cheeks as he looked at the grandfather clock at the far end of the hall. “Speaking of! I bid you farewell m’lord I must go see the fine princes in question for their shoe fitting!” The man bowed as much as he could holding so many things before dashing off in the opposite direction towards the royal suites. Daichi watched him leave before making his way home and pondered what the eldest prince would look like with a smile on his face, it must be something lovely to leave the enthusiastic cobbler with a smitten look in his eyes.

Night came quicker than Daichi would have liked and nerves bundled up in his stomach to create a heavy rock at the pit. It was just like he was being sent into battle and in some ways he was. He was fighting for his mother’s life and for his neck and he wouldn’t let anyone stand in his way.

Outside their bedroom the princes stood in a line in their white nightshirts and all ready for bed. The King stood beside them and handed the key to their room to Daichi impatiently, his sons then turned to him and each gave him a goodnight kiss on the cheek. He returned the affection by patting them on the cheek and embracing the younger ones tenderly, patting their heads as he did so before leaving Daichi alone with his six sons.

In that moment Daichi felt like he had been fed to a pack of wolves as they all looked at him with a mix of distrust, lust and pity. Suga locked eyes with him for a split second longer, his eyes were filled with a faint panicked light, almost begging him to stop and give up on the spot to save his neck. They weren’t going to give him an inch but that didn’t stop Daichi from smiling warmly at them and humbly bowing before them.

“I do bid you all goodnight and hope that your highnesses rest well.” The younger pair Kenma and Kageyama rolled their eyes and made their way in first. Akaashi nodded respectfully and followed close behind with a small yawn. Tooru and Kenji looked at him and giggled between themselves elbowing each other in the ribs before rushing into their bedroom and slamming the door behind them leaving Suga alone in the corridor with Daichi.

“Mr Gardener, I have no idea why you’ve decided this would be a good idea but I beg of you, please turn back now while you still can. I would hate to be the cause of your beheading. You do not deserve such a fate so please turn back now!” he begged, barely above a whisper, reaching out to cling to Daichi’s hands, beseeching him with desperation in his eyes. Daichi however responded by raising those pale soft hands that had never seen a day’s hard labour in their life to his lips, kissing them gently.

“I’m afraid I cannot do that highness. I wish you sweet dreams.” His voice was deep and rich and caused a shiver to race up Suga’s spine before he spun away with a huff and slammed the door behind him. Daichi could hear the whoops and hollers of Tooru and Kenji clearly through the grand door that separated Daichi from the princes’ inner chambers. He debated locking the door with the key that he’d been given but decided against it, instead settling down to wait the long night out. A cup of wine and a slice of bread was brought to him by a servant which Daichi thanked him for and once the man had left he ate the bread and discarded the wine in a potted plant, leaving the tray and the empty goblet at his feet. He remembered his godfather’s words. Do not drink the wine.

Hours passed and nothing happened. It was easy for Daichi to stay awake, he had slept earlier and was used to keeping watch late into the night. Things were peaceful until midnight began to come around. Daichi got a distinct feeling, he couldn’t describe it but he felt it in the pit of his stomach that something was happening so he pulled out the cloak that he hid under his shirt and placed it around his shoulders buckling the clasp securely and then he crept into the prince’s room.

They were all facing away from him when he slipped in, quiet as a mouse, dressed in finery fit for dancing at a ball. Tooru and Kenji squabbled between themselves about who they were going to dance with tonight as a panel in the floor begin to sink to reveal a staircase that went underground. The princes descended the staircase as soon as it appeared and Daichi ran to follow them into the depths of the earth.

Daichi didn’t know what to expect when he followed the princes into the darkness but when they grabbed golden lanterns that hung waiting for him, what he saw in his dimly lit surroundings took his breath away. A forest of trees made of pure silver with diamonds hanging from the brances that glittered in the lamp light but Daichi could not slow down his pace to gawk at the trees. He stayed close behind Sugawara, who was dressed in canary yellow, breathing into the collar of his cloak so his breath was undetectable but still Suga voiced a complaint.

“Do you all hear heavy footsteps?” he asked his brothers, a feeling of dread coating his stomach. Tooru looked back at him like he had gone crazy.

“Don’t be stupid Suga! No one is with us, that stupid gardener can’t have followed us here. He would have drank the wine! He’s probably blowing snot bubbles upstairs as we speak!” he crowed before bursting into laughter. Daichi felt relief that Suga’s brothers did not feel his presence and he continued to follow them through the forest until they had reach a spectacle more breathtaking than the last.

 A sapphire lake with twelve golden gondolas, one for each prince. In the centre of the lake lay an island with the most beautiful palace he had ever seen. A delicate golden structure with turrets reaching to the heavens. Daichi hopped in Suga’s boat and sat at the stern, holding back a laugh as the finely dressed gondolier struggled with rowing the boat, looking at Suga like he had put on a bit more weight. Suga blushed a deep shade of red and huffed before looking out to the island in the middle of the lake, anxious to be off the boat and begin dancing the night away.

Music floated invitingly throughout the air as they reached the tall golden doors of the palace. Daichi watched each prince pick a mask from a tray presented to them before they entered the ballroom. Daichi had never seen anything so lavish in his life. A masked orchestra passionately played a whole manner of tunes from waltzes to rondos all for the enjoyment of the princes and their fellow masked dancers.

It was like a dream playing out in front of Daichi’s eyes. A mirage of colour and wonder sweeping lavishly before him. There was undeniable joy on the faces of everyone here. The six princes danced the night away without a care in the world while Daichi stood aside, nibbling on the entrees that passed his way.

Time passed in a blur of colour and magic before coming to a standstill with a chime from the grand clock. All the dancers and musicians ceased their play and applauded each other at the wondrous night they had had before the princes bowed and left the way they came. Daichi had no choice but to follow, taking care to enter Suga’s boat just as he had done earlier.

They passed through the lantern lit forest of silver yet again, Daichi close on Suga’s heels before it occurred to him that his story would not hold on its own. This place was so magical that if he were to regale the King with this tale that he would be laughed all the way to the chopping block, especially if the princes were keen on keeping this secret. So in their journey back, he broke off a branch from one of the silver trees. This time it was Kenma to let out a squeak and look around nervously.

“Whatever is the matter, brother?” Kageyama asked his sleepy brother.

Kenma looked at him with wide golden eyes and whispered “I thought I heard a branch snapping…” to which Kageyama smiled and shook his head.

“It’s probably a bird of the land or just your imagination, now we should hurry or the staircase will disappear!” Kenma nodded in response and sped up his pace to match the rest of the group before he fell behind.

It occurred to Daichi that they would be expecting him to be asleep where he was so he rushed past Suga and Akaashi up to the top of the stairs, through their chambers and back to his chair to feign loud snoring and sleep, hiding his cloak and the precious silver branch that would be his proof against the princes. Much to his relief, he felt the pull of sleep call to him just as the princes poked their heads through the door. The last thing he heard as he slipped off was Tooru and Kenji’s laughter, but they did not know that Daichi would be the one to have the last laugh.

Daichi later awoke to the view of the King looking expectantly down at him with the cobbler Bokuto respectfully behind him and a blanket that had been carefully placed on top of him. “Well? Did you discover anything about the nightly whereabouts of my sons?” Daichi considered telling the king all about it for a moment. Bokuto’s wide golden eyes certainly did prompt him to almost spill everything but he steeled himself and shook his head.

“I’m afraid not yet your highness but don’t worry I am working on it.” Daichi finished with a yawn and the King let out a humph of dissatisfaction before turning to leave to go about his other business.

“Two nights left boy! Two nights before your head goes on the block if you fail!” he called down the hall leaving Daichi alone with a despondent Bokuto.

“More shoes to make then huh… Oh well. I knew this would happen” he sighed, shoulders slumping dramatically before knocking on the door of the princes. “Shoe delivery for your highnesses!” he called out before the door opened to reveal the second eldest standing there dressed for the day with a small flush on his face. Bokuto then went inside and Daichi decided to get up to go about his day before returning for the evening.

The day passed in a haze. Daichi couldn’t get his mind off of the sights he had seen that night and the vision of Suga dancing in golden canary yellow, the silk cupping his hips wonderfully, revealing just a glimpse of his curvaceous behind as he span around. A small selfish wish planted itself at the bottom of his heart that he would one day get the chance to dance with Suga but that would be too presumptuous of a retired soldier and gardener like him. So lost he was in his thoughts tending to the rose bushes he didn’t notice the prince of his dreams appear behind him. Just as he was bent over with his bottom sticking out for all to see. He also missed the look of great appreciation in the prince’s eyes at the way his buttocks and thighs, finely crafted by the many years of training he had done, strained to support his position.

“Good afternoon sir gardener!” were the words that prompted Daichi to fall over into the flower bed and get up with a groan to Suga laughing heartily. Suga lowered a soft hand for him to take to help him up to his feet and Daichi grasped it with a muddy gloved hand before dusting himself off and bowing politely.

“Good afternoon your highness.”

“Please, call me Suga. There’s no need for formalities out here if we are unaccompanied” Suga airily replied, seating himself down on the edge of a marble wall.

“Alright then, Suga. To what do I owe this visit? Surely it’s too late to save my neck from the chopping block if I fail?” he responded rubbing his neck almost protectively after removing the muddy glove. Daichi regretted his choice of words by the way Suga’s eyes fell and the way his fists clenched on his pale breeches. He wished he could tell him that he had figured it all out but to do so would be madness at this point, not until he had got all of the evidence he could together.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing…” he paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts before spilling them all out like a river bursting its bank. “My brothers and I are not the ones who decided on the punishment. I just wanted to let you know that. It was my father. He just got tired of all the holes in our shoes and spending so much money on them! And then Tooru! Silly Tooru complained about a man he did not like seeking his hand in marriage and then Kenji complained about his suitor and then they all started complaining and then Papa got mad…. He’s just tired after mama died but he went too far this time...” He looked out at the flower beds regretfully as tears crept into his eyes, threatening to spill over. “I don’t blame them. They just wanted to marry for love but with all the fuss look where it got us. Blood on our hands and worn out dancing shoes.”

Daichi could only listen and imagine what great burden Suga felt as the eldest, making sure his younger brothers were content and that his father’s honour was upheld. He offered the angelic prince his handkerchief, a dirty scrappy thing that his mother had made him long ago but Suga accepted it gratefully and dabbed his eyes. “I do not blame you Suga. I can’t imagine how tough it must be for you all. I just hope I’m able to figure things out so you can put this all to rest for your sake.”

Suga looked up at him handing him back his handkerchief folded neatly and dampened. “Don’t think your kindness will get you any hints sir gardener! Because it won’t!”

Daichi smiled down at Suga, feeling his heart swell at the prince’s loyalty and steadfastness towards his brothers. “Daichi, your highness. My name is Daichi and I wouldn’t dream of it.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon together, walking through the gardens and enjoying the brisk sunshine. Suga asked Daichi many questions about where he came from and how he came to work as a gardener, keen to learn of the man who would soon meet his doom at their secret. Daichi gladly told him stories of the lands he had travelled to during his time as a soldier. Conversation flowed easily between them as they enjoyed each other’s company but then the bell for dinner chimed and Suga bid Daichi good evening as he ran off back to the castle to have his evening meal.

Daichi followed later on after his own evening meal. His mother’s condition was steady and he told her that everything would be sorted as she slept peacefully. Then he returned after cleaning himself up, cloak hidden beneath his shirt to go spend another evening sitting outside the chambers of the princes. Another cup of wine and slice of bread was brought to him and again he ate the bread and discarded the wine.

Again he waited patiently, feigning sleep when Tooru poked his head out to check on him, satisfied that the cup of wine was empty, before midnight struck. Yet again he followed the six down the magic staircase, through the silver forest, onto the boat where Suga’s gondolier looked at him again in suspicion and back to the golden ballroom that played music so sweet it made Daichi’s heart soar.

Tonight Suga was dressed in cornflower blue silks with chains of golden bells that chimed each time he moved. Daichi was enraptured at the sight but he knew he had to find something to prove the existence of this place so he looked around the ballroom for anything unique until he came across a glorious flower arrangement in a vase filled with golden flowers. He plucked a completely golden rose from the bouquet and hid it in his cape before returning to watching the brothers’ dance with masked partners for the rest of the night.

Then the clock chimed and the princes ascended the stairs, Daichi running in front of them once they left the boats up the stairs and back to his chair, cloak off his shoulders, rose hidden away. Quickly! Quickly! He ran! Fast asleep in his chair. Tooru peaked out to the door yet again and found Daichi fast asleep but he spotted a glint of gold under his chair and crept closer, quietly to lift the cloak revealing the golden rose. He smiled and covered it back up. So he was the one who had been disturbing his brothers, he was the one who the footsteps belonged to and who made Suga’s boat heavier. He kept the information to himself and returned to the room proclaiming Daichi fast asleep to his brothers. Tomorrow night he would use the information to his advantage.

That night his godfather Asahi visited him in a dream. He told his godfather excitedly about how close he was to revealing the secret of the princes but Asahi shook his head to stop his excited chatter. “I do not have long Daichi” he said. “I admit you have done very well thusfar but I have one more thing I need you to do. You must make the princes confess themselves, or all will have been for naught.”

Then Daichi awoke with a gasp, chest heaving as he was shocked awake. Morning had come and Daichi returned to his post in the garden maintaining the hedges and the flowers. He so wanted to tell Saeko and Keishin of the good fortune that would soon befall him but he knew he should keep his mouth shut. Tomorrow morning he would be blessed with the treatment for his mother whose condition thankfully remained steady. Tomorrow morning he would be satisfied at last. But he didn’t anticipate the prince Tooru creeping out through the trees, applauding jovially.

“Well done sir gardener! I do admit I don’t know how you managed to find us out but you are clever!” Daichi turned around with his sheers and blinked innocently at the pretty young man. “Our secret sir! I know you have found us out. I found the rose under your chair this morning!” he lilted. “I’m honestly rather glad it was you. The other men who got close were so booooring and stupid and brash and sly and much much too young and not like yourself at all! No no you are very smart sir gardener! So my brothers and I would like to invite you to a party in celebration of your success. You know where. Just turn up in your finest and we’ll dance the night away and then tell Papa all about how clever you are!” Daichi could do nothing but nod at the young man’s bouncing around before he winked and giggled with a wave and skipped off back to the palace leaving Daichi dumbfounded.

Daichi was not one to turn down an invitation like that and the prospect of dancing the night away with Suga was so inviting. Little did he know that he was not the first to get this far. He didn’t even think of the ones who had disappeared went. So he returned that night to outside the princes’ chambers, again eating the bread and discarding the wine. Following the princes down the stairs invisible to the eye, into Suga’s boat and into the ballroom, princes masked.

But the music did not start. Instead Tooru stepped forward and made a grand declaration, “Ladies and gentleman! I stand before you declaring that our secret has been discovered” it was at that moment that Daichi discarded his cloak to reveal himself to the masked crowd who stared at him blankly. He did not realize this before but there was something eerie about the masked dancers, especially the ones who stood out before him, the chosen partners of some of the princes. Short with orange hair, large and blonde with sideburns, a stern looking tall man with dark hair and a tall thin catlike man with hair that didn’t know what it was doing with itself. These four men unnerved him especially, their eyes glassy and vacant. He looked to the princes. Kenma, Kenji and Kageyama couldn’t look at him, they looked ashamed and clung to three of the men almost possessively, afraid of losing them. Tooru languidly looped his arm around the crook of the tall stern one’s arm. He looked like he would have been a great general, a leader if his eyes did not look so empty. Daichi felt his stomach drop. Had he wondered into a trap? The look of desperation in Suga’s eyes confirmed that he had but then he had a plan. He would just have to play along and hope for the best. “Let us dance Sir Gardener! Let us dance the night away! It looks like my brother Suga is eager to dance with you!”

The music started up and before Suga could say anything they were swept up into a grand waltz around the ballroom. This of course did not prevent the prince from voicing his anger and disappointment. Tears spilled freely from his eyes as they glided across the floor. “You fool! You utter fool Daichi! You were so close and you ruined it all!” he whispered angrily and thumped Daichi’s doublet before Daichi was accosted by another prince, swept off into another dance.

Daichi did not get to dance with Suga again that night, dressed in lilac and diamonds so lovely and sweet to look at and to dance with but he was passed around the room like a new toy just begging to be played with and yet he did not dare protest. He kept his silence and prayed that Suga had faith in him and prayed that he would see the daylight above ground once more for fear of his mother’s life.

Then before the appointed time of the clock chiming the brothers stepped forward with a fine golden goblet, encrusted with fine jewels, filled to the brim with fragrant red wine. They each had a goblet of their own and raised it in a toast.

“To Sir Gardener Daichi! To your success!” Tooru called. “To your success!” the rest of the princes and their companions called in response. Daichi smiled and nodded his head, taking one last look at the princes and their companions before lowering his eyes and raising the goblet to his lips. Then he heard a clatter and a shout.

“NO!” Just as he was about to drink the wine, just as he was about to drink the magic drought that would turn him into another empty companion to dance with underground he felt a body crashing into him, sending the goblet of wine flying from his hand with a clatter and his body to the ground. “No! I will not let you drink! Daichi don’t drink the wine!” Suga sat atop of him sobbing bitterly. Daichi sat up and looked at the other princes with a dashing smile, ignoring the sobbing beauty on his chest.

“I don’t see why not Suga” he smiled warmly at the prince, tenderly raising his hand to cup his cheek, wiping his tears away with his thumb. “Another goblet please! We must celebrate!” Tooru was only so happy to oblige kneeling down with another goblet, the same as the last, filled with magical draught.

“But Daichi you cannot! If you drink you will forget! You will end up like the rest of them! I can’t let you do that! I won’t! I will not let you drink!” Suga sobbed and grabbed his shirt desperately, hoping to shake some sense into Daichi but he didn’t respond to him instead reaching for the goblet. Suga slumped his face buried into Daichi’s shoulder. “Please don’t drink Daichi. I love you” Daichi remained steadfast, despite his wishes he continued to raise the goblet to his lips, preparing to knock it back in one gulp. However Suga smacked the goblet away from his grasp before he tackled his brother, poking him in the chest viciously like his finger was a sword going for his heart. “I have had enough of this Tooru! No more! I am telling father! I am telling father everything!”

Daichi decided that enough was enough and stood to peel Suga off of his brother. “Truly you will tell your father?” he asked, wiping the fresh tears that were spilled out of anger and frustration from his eyes.

“Yes. I will tell father. If that will make you love me. If that will make you look my way, I will tell father” he responded, thinking that Daichi didn’t care for him. Daichi’s smile banished his fears as he leaned down to kiss Suga so sweetly, sweet enough to make him gasp and produce tears of a different kind before sweeping him up into his arms along with the empty golden goblet. The princes and their partners followed. Akaashi ushered them all out, the only one without a partner, the only one without shame in his eyes.

Away from the ballroom they travelled, as the grand clock chimed the place began to clatter to the ground like a deck of dominos. Daichi watched the place fall with Suga at his side in the boat before they all ascended the stairs, through the grove of silver trees to the bedroom of the princes where the door in the floor closed for a final time, never to be opened again.

A curious thing happened as soon as they had come into the bedroom. The four companions of the princes regained their senses, like they had just awoken from a deep slumber but they still remained confused and unsure of where they were or how they had got here. Daichi led the princes and their companions to the throne room, stopping by the potted plant in the hallway to pull out the golden rose and the silver branch he got during the first two nights.

They called for the King’s presence who rushed to the throne room in his pyjamas eager to hear Daichi’s discovery, the cobbler Bokuto also followed, eager to find out if he needed to make more shoes. They looked so shocked to see four men who they had thought missing also behind Daichi and the princes.

“Your highness! I come before you with a tale so wondrous and unusual about the whereabouts of your sons. They have been dancing the night away in a fine palace underground with these men they had bewitched” Daichi started gesturing to the princes and their companions, all dressed finely aside from Suga whose lilac silken finery was now stained with red wine and damp with the tears he had been crying. “They would descend each night through a forest of silver trees” he explained producing the silver branch for the King and Bokuto to inspect, they looked at each other and nodded before waiting for the rest of the tale. “Across a lake they would travel on golden gondolas to a golden palace filled with riches and objects so miraculous such as this golden rose.” Again he produced the rose in a grand fashion. The King and Bokuto inspected the rose.

“It’s pure gold your highness!” Bokuto proclaimed, biting the flower to test the metal, satisfied when it gave and softened under his teeth.

“And they would drink wine out of fine goblets such as this in the ballroom, they bewitched the four you see before you with a magic potion that they tried to give to me in this very goblet” he finished stepping back to look at the King.

The King stood before them gobsmacked, reluctant to believe that his sons had done such a thing as bewitching these men but the proof was before him yet still he hesitated, looking at his sweet sons, looking for any denial. His eldest, covered in wine stepped forward and held Daichi’s hand firmly.

“He is right Papa. We did those things. We did those horrible things and we are sorry.” The other princes chimed in with their regrets and apologies before their father raised his hands with a sigh.

“I see… then Daichi, since you have solved the mystery you may decide their fate. I will also reward you as we agreed.”

Daichi nodded and took a moment to think. “I do not wish for your sons to be punished. What they did was out of fear. They were foolish and childish and only wanted to have fun. I would instead ask that you allow them to marry who they please, that would solve the problem.” His requests were responded to with gasps and claps of joy. “As for my reward, as long as you send your finest doctor to make sure that my mother is given the best care I will be satisfied. I just want her illness to be cured.”

The king was only too happy to oblige with Daichi’s request but he also found that the princes had requests of their own. The four men that had been bewitched ended up marrying a prince each. The quiet Akaashi ended up marrying the cobbler who delighted him so and Daichi well… he was the requested husband of a certain silver haired prince. They were joyfully married once Daichi’s mother had recovered and Daichi’s wish of dancing the night away with Suga was finally granted.  Many years more of dancing with many more worn out pairs of dancing shoes, accompanied with many happy years filled with children, laughter and happily ever afters.

The End

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading this story of mine. It took a long time to put together but I am so glad you've read it! Please let me know what you thought if you would like.
> 
> I am available on Twitter and Tumblr as Rinoa11.


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